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Back The Neighborhood Save as PDF
Chapters (59)
  1. Part I Reconnaissance
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Part II Incursion
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Part III Under Siege
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Part IV Course Correction
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Part V Balance of Power
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-One
  27. Chapter Twenty-Two
  28. Chapter Twenty-Three
  29. Chapter Twenty-Four
  30. Chapter Twenty-Five
  31. Chapter Twenty-Six
  32. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  33. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  34. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  35. Part VI Spy versus Spy
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Part VII Winds of War and Flame
  41. Chapter Thirty-Four
  42. Chapter Thirty-Five
  43. Chapter Thirty-Six
  44. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  45. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Part VIII Strong to the Finish
  50. Chapter Forty-Two
  51. Chapter Forty-Three
  52. Part IX Spy Games
  53. Chapter Forty-Four
  54. Chapter Forty-Five
  55. Chapter Forty-Six
  56. Part X What Goes Around
  57. Chapter Forty-Seven
  58. Chapter Forty-Eight
  59. About the Author

The convoy of police vehicles were the tip of the spear of the operation, which was broken into four phases—clear, contain, search, and Barrett’s personal favorite: “get the fuck out of there with minimal chaos.” If the first three phases didn’t go smoothly, then the fourth wouldn’t matter. Plan B was not something he truly wanted to entertain, but the mission was the mission, and if need be, he’d execute it. He figured his soul could bear more collateral damage. He was damned already, and he hoped the devil might look a little kindlier upon him with a higher bar tab in human misery and devastation. Hell was reserved for the real overachievers.

Barrett’s lead Explorer reached Founder’s Circle, barely decelerated, and took the turn to the right quickly, the tires gripping the pavement, squealing the way he intended them to. There’s no going back, now. Time to pay the piper, people. One of you screwed the pooch, and now the whole tribe gets to pay for it.

A wave of calm washed over Barrett. It was an emotion he’d experienced just before combat on several occasions. A mixture of focus, determination, and confidence, a feeling that he was exactly where he was supposed to be at this moment in time and space, spurred him on. This is going to work, and then we can figure out what’s next for Huntsmen Enterprises. He knew it would likely have to be international after the buzz of the hornet’s nest they were about to kick.

He reached for the bank of switches installed between the two front seats—exactly the way they were installed in real police vehicles—and flipped two of them. Lights and sirens erupted on top of his vehicle, shattering the dark quiet of the night. The other five SUVs followed suit, and the cacophony of sound mixed with the wind so that the vehicles’ cries seemed to fade in and out, mournful mechanical souls wailing hopelessly against Mother Nature.

He spotted the three vans—one parked on the roundabout at the opening of each street, its tail end facing the street, antennas on top—and kept going. In addition to the jamming equipment, the vans contained the six operators with the unique handheld RFID detectors. They’d made the decision to pre-stage the vans and the men so that they’d be in place before the chaos and confusion began. Comms had better be out by now, or this whole charade is over.